Pick Me
by Allyson Rae
Summary: HUDDY: “You…Lisa, you have done so much for me; so many things that I didn’t at all even begin to deserve. And now I have the chance to give you something that you deserve more than anything, and I want to. I want to help you."
1. Pick Me

Pick Me

**Author's Note:** This is my first attempt at a House fanfiction of any kind. I hope it turns out as well as I hope. Set anytime after Cuddy's fertility treatments started but before the events of 'Joy.' Probably set around the time when she almost asked House to be her donor, but chickened out. *sigh*

***

Lisa Cuddy awoke to the warm sunlight falling over her face in the early hours of morning. Yawning, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and buried herself further inside her down comforter. This was the normal routine for her almost non-existent mornings off. However, her routine was interrupted quite suddenly when her soft hands brushed against the warmth of another body lying beside her. Freezing momentarily, she searched her mind for an excuse to this discovery. Finding none, she slowly turned to her side to face her…companion. As her eyes fell across the sleeping face of Dr. Greg House, the previous night's events all came flooding back to her memory.

***

Cuddy sunk down into her couch cushions, a stack of potential donor files in one hand, and a mug of hot tea in the other. She sipped slowly at the tea as she made her way through each file, studying all the details of each donor. Height, weight, hair and eye color, occupation, family history—Cuddy looked at it all. But as the pile in her lap got smaller, the pile on her coffee table grew larger. None of them seemed quite right to her. Maybe she was being too picky, or maybe, sub-consciously, she had someone already in mind; someone that couldn't possibly be willing to be her donor. Could he?

She was shaken from her thoughts by knocking at her front door. Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was quarter past midnight. Only one person could be willing to bother her at that hour. These suspicions were enhanced by the distinct sound of wood knocking against wood, and confirmed when she opened the door to the blue eyes of Greg House, cane poised in mid-air to knock again.

"What is it House? It's quarter after twelve." Cuddy asked, exasperated.

House looked down toward his shoes, in an uncharacteristic show of shyness and nervousness. He gripped the end of his cane a little tighter as he fumbled with the words dangling from his tongue.

"Pick me," he mumbled, almost in a whisper. He slowly brought his blue eyes up to meet her grey ones.

Cuddy only stared at him, unsure she heard him correctly. "What?" she whispered, just as quietly.

He spoke louder now. "Pick me," he said again, a little more surely of himself this time. "Let me be your donor."

Cuddy said nothing; only stepping back to let him inside, away from the chilly New Jersey night. He followed her inside, softly shutting the door behind him, and searching her eyes for any sort of confirmation that she had understood his words. There was none.

Her voice broke the silence. "Why?"

House sighed. "Because," he began. "None of those folders care about what happens to their 'donation' once it's gone. None of those folders," he gestures toward the stack piled haphazardly on her coffee table, "can give you any comfort; any form of security." He sighed again. "None of those folders lov…care about you." He stopped, suddenly wondering why the hell he'd come here in the first place. He turned and began to make a hasty retreat, already regretting opening himself up at all.

"Greg, wait." Cuddy's voice using his first name stopped him dead in his tracks. He turned back toward her, finding her grey eyes shining with unshed tears. She stepped toward him, resting a careful hand on his arm. "You really want to be my donor?" She asked, in a tone akin to disbelief. She stared at him expectantly, almost afraid to hear his answer.

"I…yes," he said simply. He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it softly. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears, threatening to spill over. House traced small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb while she struggled to calm her emotions. He spoke again. "You…Lisa, you have done so much for me; so many things that I didn't at all even begin to deserve. And now I have the chance to give you something that you deserve more than anything, and I want to. I want to help you. But…I don't want to be a donor." He paused, taking a deep breath. She looked at him, confused, beginning to pull away from his touch. He gripped her hand tighter and pulled her toward him. "I…want to be a dad."

He blinked, and so did she, as tears spilled over, rolling down her cheeks with the speed of Niagara Falls. "You…you want to be a dad?" she choked out through her quiet sobs. His eyes began to shine as he spoke.

"I want to be the man my father never was. I want to be that man with you; with you and our child."

Cuddy smiled softly. "Greg," she breathed. He brought his hand to her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"Cuddy, I…" he trailed off, unsure of how to say these words to her. She looked into his eyes, silently pleading with him to continue. He sighed. "Damnit. Lisa, I love you." And with that, his lips crashed down upon hers; two bodies pressing themselves together, emotions reaching the surface and spilling over into the atmosphere. His cane clattered to the floor and he held her to his chest, her hands clutching the front of his jacket. He bit softly at her lower lip, running his tongue along it. Her lips parted, giving him permission to continue. Their tongues tangled together as his fingers tangled in her hair. She pushed his jacket from his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor beside the already abandoned cane. His fingers trailed down her back, tracing the hem of her shirt before sliding softly underneath to the soft skin of her back. Feeling the ever-increasing need for oxygen, she pulled away, reluctant to break the kiss. She rested her head against his chest as he held her to him, resting his chin against her head and reveling in the warmth radiating from her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Stay," she whispered. He nodded against the top of her head, sighing softly. She pulled away from him, and tangled her fingers with his, gripping his hand. She bent down to retrieve his cane, handing it to him, before leading him to her bedroom.

"Damn Cuddles. If I had known this is all it would take to get in your bed, I would have done it years ago." Cuddy chucked softly.

"Shut up House." She lightly smacked his shoulder. He smirked before bending to kiss her softly again.

***

Cuddy lay awake, silently studying his sleeping face, trying to memorize each and every line. Wordlessly, he reached out and draped his arm over her hip, pulling him toward her. She curled against his chest, as his blue eyes fluttered open to meet hers. Smirking, he leaned in and kissed her nose.

"Stop staring Cuddles and turn off the damn sun." House's groggy voice broke the morning silence.

Cuddy laughed, moving to get up and shut the drapes. House pulled her closer.

"I was only kidding. Leave the sun on—makes your eyes sparkle." He shrugged, almost shyly.

Cuddy only smiled and curled in closer to his warm body. Yeah, she could get used to this.

**-Fin**

***

**Author's Note:** Well, there it is folks. My very first House fic. :] It didn't turn out TOO badly, I don't think. House did get a little OOC, but I tried to reel him in a little. I do think, however, that House does have the capacity to act this way if he really means/feels what he is saying he does. And obviously, in this story, he means every word. Lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. And, by all means, feel free to review. ;]


	2. One More Time

**One More Time**

**Author's Note:** I've decided to create a short series of one-shots based on the numerous positive reviews I received from "Pick Me." Thank you guys so much for your support. This story is the second in the series and is set around the time Cuddy is going through with the IVF and trying to conceive, with no success.

*******

"Oh Cuddles!" House burst into Cuddy's office loudly, as usual, wearing a smirk. "Care for a little afternoon delight?" He chuckled to himself momentarily before quieting, noticing the slouched posture of his boss. "Cuddy?" he spoke again, softer in his tone. "What's the matter?"

House took a seat opposite Cuddy at her desk, and stared at her. She slowly lifted her head and met his piercing blue eyes with her sad, grey ones. She only shook her head dejectedly before her eyes welled up with tears. House immediately understood.

"It didn't take." He stated, not needing to question the idea. Cuddy nodded as one lone tear rolled down her pale face. House sighed in frustration. This had been their third try at IVF, and as of yet, they had still had no luck with conception. House dropped his head to his chest, feeling defeated. She wanted this so badly, and he wanted so badly to give it to her. Why couldn't the woman who deserved happiness more than anyone have the only thing she really wanted? It wasn't fair. House was lost in his own thoughts until her voice broke through the silence.

"Maybe we should just give up." She could barely choke the words out before the tears came, breaking through her emotional dam and streaming down her cheeks. House stood, limping around her desk to stand beside her. He bent slightly and took her face in his calloused hands, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"Give up? Those are two words I never expected to hear from the mouth of Lisa Cuddy. When have you ever given up on anything? I'll tell you when—never. You're not about to give up now—not when it's something that really matters; something you really deserve." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. "You don't honestly want to give up, do you?"

Cuddy sighed. "I just…don't want to be disappointed again. I'm so tired of failing." She sniffled, trying to calm her tears and with them, her heart. House wiped at the tears, brushing the pads of his thumbs across her smooth cheeks.

"Come here." He held his arms out to her, and she stood, wrapping her arms around his waist. He enveloped her in his large frame, holding her tightly to his chest. She laid her ear on his heart and listened, the sound of his heartbeat soothing her pain and sadness. He held her for awhile, tracing slow and lazy circles on her back. He pulled away and looked into her eyes, knowing with every fiber of his being that he, Greg House, cynical, curmudgeonly doctor extraordinaire, loved this woman with all of his heart. He returned his hands to either side of her face and spoke.

"I don't want to give up on this—not yet. Let's just try…just one more time." He smiled softly. "Come on Lisa. What do you say?"

She studied his face for a moment, silently wondering if all this was worth it. But she knew that every disappointment they faced was worth the look of hope she saw when she met his eyes. A smile flittered to her face as she nodded.

"Alright. One more time."

*******

It had been six weeks since their last attempt, and Cuddy had kept her expectations low. But now she stood, barefoot in her bathroom, staring at the stick in her hand in disbelief. She exited the room and padded softly to the sofa, where House sat, absent-mindedly watching an episode of Spongebob Squarepants. Wordlessly, she set the plastic on the coffee table in front of him. He looked at her expectantly, and she gestured toward it. He cautiously leaned forward and his eyes widened as he read the tiny screen. He turned to her tearstained face and grinned.

"Hi Mommy," he whispered, pulling her toward him and holding her against his torso. She clung to him, crying while he ran his fingers through her softly curled hair.

"Hi Daddy," she whispered back, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing.

With that one simple phrase, two tears fell from the eyes of the man who couldn't wait for the day his child would say those same words.

-Fin

*******

**Author's Note:** Okay, so not my best work. I know exactly what the next one-shot will be, but this was honestly the hardest for me to write. I considered skipping straight to the final part of the saga, but I thought this was too important a part of their tale to just leave out, so I tried to write it the best I could. Please keep reviewing! Every time my e-mail has one new message from FanFiction, my heart soars just a little more. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :]


	3. My Little Girl

**My Little Girl**

**Author's Note:** Here it is, kids; the last chapter. This is actually what inspired this whole fanfiction idea in the first place; hearing this song on the radio, and imagining House with his non-existent daughter. So…I created him one. Haha. Thank you all so much for reading & reviewing. And in case I didn't mention it before, House M.D., its characters nor any of its plotlines belong to me. If only…

**Song:** "My Little Girl" – Tim McGraw

***

This was it: the big moment. House watched as she loaded the last box into the trunk of her car, before slamming it down with a force he didn't know she had. She flipped her dark, curly hair over her shoulder, and walked toward the front porch of her family home. Purple converse scuffed against the sidewalk as she approached her parents, standing silently near the porch swing.

_Gotta hold on easy as I let you go;  
gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know.  
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.  
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born._

"Are you sure you have everything?" Cuddy asked her daughter for the millionth time.

House watched as 18-year old Ava Rose rolled her eyes at her mother, laughing as she reassured her again that yes, she had everything, and yes, she would call if she didn't, and yes, she would call anyway just to say she got there okay. A small smirk appeared on House's face. She really was her mother's daughter. She was Cuddy's mirror image—only with his blue eyes. He remembered the first moment he saw those eyes.

***

"_Congratulations Dr. House, Dr. Cuddy—it's a girl."_

_Cuddy fell back against the pillows, exhausted, while the nurses swept away the crying baby to clean her up and conduct all the standard tests. House squeezed Cuddy's hand, smiling lightly as he let it drop to the bed beside her. He limped over toward the group of nurses and waited as they examined the child—his child. The older nurse turned to him, holding a squirming bundle of pink. She carefully handed him the baby, and House felt the breath catch in his throat as he peered down into the face of this tiny person. She blinked, staring straight up into his eyes—blue on blue. In that moment, he knew he had never loved anyone or anything as much as he loved this little girl. Nothing would ever be the same._

***

_When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone.  
Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown.  
Sometimes you're asleep I whisper "I love you." in the moonlight at your door.  
As I walk away, I hear you say, "Daddy, love you more!" _

As he stood there, watching Ava say her goodbyes to her mother, House couldn't help but remember watching his daughter grow up. From her first words, to her first steps, to the very first time she touched his piano.

***

_House groaned as he turned over into his pillow. It was an early Saturday morning—or at least early according to his standards. He didn't particularly want to be awake at 10:00, but he couldn't tune out the banging noise coming from the living room. The sound of B flats, G naturals, D sharps and everything in between, being pounded down all at once suddenly registered in his brain: the piano. House rolled himself out of bed, grabbed for his cane, and began to limp down the hall toward the sound. There, sitting on his piano bench, sat 5-year old Ava, banging away with a grin plastered across her little face. House cringed as he could practically hear the hammers breaking under the lid._

"_Ava!" House shouted. "What are you doing to my piano?" _

_Ava turned to her father, smiling. "Daddy! I play a song for you!"_

_House only stared at her for a moment, his anger melting away from the brightness of her smile. Her gap-toothed grin made the abuse of his piano fade in comparison. House limped over to the bench, sitting down beside her._

"_What do you say I teach you a real song?"_

_Ava looked up at him, blue eyes shimmering in the morning sunlight. She nodded excitedly, laying her fingers across the keys the way she had watched her father do so many times before._

_By the time Cuddy returned from the hospital that afternoon, Ava was playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" almost perfectly, while her father rode shot-gun on the bench beside her._

***

He couldn't believe that that little girl was now the beautiful young woman standing before him. Nor could he believe that that song on the piano was only one of the many that came after, including the ones she had written, which had been her ticket to Berklee College of Music in Boston. He liked to give himself credit for that accomplishment, but he knew that Ava had achieved that all on her own.

Sometimes, when he looked at her, he still saw the little girl who ran through the sprinkler in the summertime, a popsicle stain around her mouth, arms open wide to the sky as she collapsed in the grass, laughing. He saw the little girl who he spent countless hours playing Go Fish and checkers with. He saw the little girl who used to curl up beside him, her head resting against his good leg, teddy bear in hand, while they watched Saturday morning cartoons, or sometimes, if she was lucky, while he read her a story at bedtime.

***  
_"Please Daddy? Just one story?" 6-year old Ava held the little paperback book out to her father, eyes bright with hope. Some nights, House said no, but tonight, looking between his daughter's bright blue eyes and the little brown…thing in a pair of blue bunny pajamas, he couldn't help but cave._

_He took the book from Ava's hands. "Scoot over." Her smile instantly appeared, brightening her face as her father settled beside her on the pink four-poster princess bed. She leaned against his arm as he began to read of the antics of a little critter who just didn't want to go to bed._

_House came to the end of the story, closing the little book and laying it on Ava's nightstand. He looked down to find her sound asleep against his left arm. Sighing, House gently rolled her off of him and pushed himself to his feet. He bent over and pulled the covers up higher over her tiny frame, brushing a stray brown curl off her forehead. Tucking her brown bear, William into her arm, he pressed a kiss to her cheek, and made his way out of the room, pausing in the doorway. He turned to look back at his sleeping daughter. He glanced into the hallway to make sure his wife wasn't spying on him again, before turning to look back at Ava. _

"_I love you Cuddle-Bear," he whispered, barely audible to even himself. He reserved that nickname for the moments where he knew no one would hear. Smiling, he began to close the door._

"_I love you more Daddy." Her little voice rang out in the darkness, piercing his heart the way it did every time she said those words. He shook his head in wonder at the way this one little girl had captured his heart. He left the door open a crack and left the room._

***

How could she have grown up so fast? It was all too soon. And he knew the worst was yet to come.

_Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand.  
But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know he's the half that makes you whole;  
he has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man.  
I know he'll say that he's in love, but between you and me, he won't be good enough._

Yes, Ava had dated some in high school, but never anything serious enough to cause him worry. But now she was leaving for college, in another town, in another state—with many, many more boys. These are boys that she could date, and even marry. No one would ever be good enough—deserving enough to marry her. She was perfect to him, and he wasn't ready to share her with anyone else. It really was all too soon.

"Daddy?" Ava shook House from his thoughts as she waved her hand in front of his face. "Come on, old man, wake up." She smiled that little smile that had never failed to melt his heart, and looked straight into his eyes—blue on blue, just like the first time. "Dad, I've got to hit the road if I'm going to get there before dark."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He continued to stare at her, not willing to let her go just yet.

Ava reached for him, wrapping her arms around his waist, squeezing him tightly. House pulled her closer, kissing the crown of her head before resting his chin there. She buried her face in his chest, breathing in the way he smelled—a mix of Irish Spring, good scotch and…Dad. They both squeezed their eyes shut, knowing that goodbye was coming fast.

"I love you Cuddle-Bear," House whispered in her ear, only loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"I love you more, Daddy." Ava whispered back, kissing his cheek.

She pulled away, giving her mother one last hug and smiling at them both, before climbing into her blue Ford Fusion and starting it up. She put the car in reverse and began to pull out of the driveway. House reached for Cuddy's hand, squeezing gently as Ava's car disappeared from view. Cuddy wiped the tears from her eyes, and smiled up at her husband.

"We did good, Greg."

She kissed him softly before retreating into the house. House's eyes remained fixed on the spot where he'd last seen the taillights.

"Yeah," he breathed. "Yeah, we did."

_You're beautiful baby, from the outside in.  
Chase your dreams, but always know the road that'll lead you home again.  
Go on, take on this whole world, but to me, you know you'll always be my little girl._

-Fin

***

**Final Author's Note:** Well, there you have it guys, the last one-shot in the series. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. In case you were wondering, Ava's storybook was "Just Go to Bed," a Little Critter story by Mercer Meyer. His stories were my personal bedtime favorites growing up, and that particular one was the first my dad ever read to me.

Oh, and BTW—I read an AMAZING Huddy spoiler earlier. I won't post it here, but if you'd like to know/read it, go ahead and message me, and I'll pass it along. HUDDY FTW!

And again, thank you for all your support for my very first House fic. I promise there will be more to come in the future, as soon as inspiration strikes. Feel free to continue reviewing! :]

**xoxo**

Allyson Rae  
"_Peace, Love & Music_"


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